Light-fixture.



LIGHT FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1914.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I 4 v a q R. M. DIXON.

LIGHT FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1914.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

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UniTED sTATEs PATnnT erica.

ROBERT M. DIXON?, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOE- TOSAFETY CAIR,HEATING- &7 LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LIGHT-FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

To @ZZ whom t may concern-V.'

Be it known that-I, ROBERT M. DIXON, a citizen of thel United States,and residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and l State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and usefuli Improvements inLight-Fix-l cal features of construction whichx will enable the lightfixture to be economically constructed Vwith detachable Yand replaceableparts; to provide a simple, compact, strong and effective means forsupporting the various parts of the light fixture; to provide featuresof construction by means of which a plurality lof lighting devices, suchas in-l candescent bulbs, may be supported effectively within a finitespace so as to produce a maximum of light effect within such-space; toprovide a light fixture of the semi-direct type having maximum lightingcapacity in,

a single fixture of minimum size; and to provide a sheath or cover forthe supporting-member, in combination. with means whereby adjustments ofboth may be made to accommodate variations in height so as to enable thefixture to be located or hung in desired manner.

With the above objects in view, and others which will be detailed duringthe course of this description, my invention consists in the parts,features, elements and combinations thereof hereinafter described' andclaimed.

In order that my invention may be clearly y I have provided drawingsfixture embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top-plan view of thefixture, the screwbolts for securing .the supporting member being shownin section, Fig. 3v is a transverse section on the line 3-3, Fig. l;Fig. 4 is a bottom-plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l with thebowl or reflector removed; and Fig. 5 is a section on. the line 5 5 ofFig. 4, showing a detail of construction.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the mainsupporting-member for theA parts of the fixture, in the form of a pipe,threaded externally at its opposite ends, the upper end of which, owingtothe illustration being that of a pendant fixture, which is illustratedas one form or embodiment of my invention, is screwed into thevpipe-head 2 of a spider or supporting-plate 3, adapted to bese'cured,.by means of screws or bolts 4, to the ceiling of a car, forexample, or in any other suitable place. rIihe lower end of the member lhas sleeved thereon the hub 5 of the main supporting-frame, the samebeing a single casting including also. a plurality of ribbed, radialiarms 6, joined attheir outer ends. by a circumferential flange or ring1, which4 may be separable therefrom, or integrail' therewith, asdesired,` The arms 6, at their inner ends,I are enlarged and connectedso as to form said central hub 5, which has extending at an angle to itthe several arms 8, having shoulders 8a, and providing between them aplurality of spaces adapted to receive the. lower ends 9 of a slotted,ornamental, sheath or cover l0, whichy entirely surrounds the member l,and covers the supporting-plate 3. It is intended, according to myinvention, that this sheath shall be a closure or cover and sliali beornamental, and shall extend from the ceiling, from whichv the fixturedepends, to the hub 5, of the main frame. At the point of coperationofthe sheath 10, with the arms 8, slots 11 are formed in the sheath toform the ends 9, the crotch of which slots rests upon the shoulders 8 ofthe arms 7, thus preventing circumferential movement relatively of thesheathl l0 and main-frame, and also providing a substantiall supportfoi' the sheath without other connections.

In order to secure the main-frame to the member l', check and jam nuts12 are applied to the lower screw-threaded end of said member, with awasher 13 between the hub`5 and the check-nut. Preferably, the jam-nutis bored laterally and screw-tlireaded, thus adapting it for thereception of a binding-screw 14, the conical end of which will engagethe screw-threads of the-member l, so as to prevent the parts, underconstant jarring or vibration of the fixture,r as when applied to a car,from working loose and thus preventing the fixture from rattling..

By this means, all parts of the fixture are rigidly held and. firmlysecured against accidental loosening or displacement. And by 11o reasonof the adjustment provided by the means described, the sheath 10 can befor'ced or lifted upwardly tightly against the ceiling or other supportso as to insure that the entire space from ceiling to main-frame shallbe closed, and the sheath shall be rigidly held. rlhe ring, or flange,7, connecting the arms of the main-frame, supports a bezel, or rim, 15,for holding the bowl 1G, which is preferably glass, and of suchcharacter' as to both transmit and reflect light.4 I do not desire tolimit myself to this characteristic, however. The bezel is hinged at 17to one side of the ring or iiange so that the bowl may swing downwardly,or outwardly, and at the opposite side is held in place by aspring-catch pivotcd to the flange at 1S, and having a dependingcatclrdog 19, adapted to engage the under-side, or a flange, of thebezel. The hinge for the bowl may be formed, for example, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, by securing a plate 20, by means of screws 21, to theupper surface of the flange 7, which plate z() may be provided as usualwith several bored lugs Coperating with said lugs are a plurality ofbored lugs 23, secured to the bezel 15, the several lugs, when placed inproper cooperative arrangement, receiving the pivotal pin 17. rI'his isonly a form of hinge connection which may be used and I do not wish tolimit myself to the specific structure showen. The spring-catch, in theform shown, which is simply an example, and isnot definitive, comprisesthe frame or bracket 2d, secured by means of lugs and screws 9.5, to thesurface of the bezel 7, and having hinged thereto, at 18, the catch-dog19, the other end of which is extended at a right-angle thereto, as at26, the latter housing one end of an expansion-spring 27, the other endof which is housed wit-hin the bracket 2l, as clearly shown in thesectional view of F ig. 1. `Normally, the dog is held in position by thespring so as to snap under the bezel without aid from the operator otherthan pressure applied upwardly to the bezel. rIhe bowl is preferablyheld in place by means of a plurality of curved plates 28, see detailFig. 5, secured to the bezel, in any suitable manner, preferablyremovable by means of screws 29, and having a portion overlapping theflange of the bowl. These plates may be disposed about the flange atvarious points, so as to securely clamp the bowl in place against theinner surface of the bezel, and in order to deaden sound and cushion thebowl, and thus prevent its flange from being fractured, packing-strips30, of yielding or elastic material, may be inserted between thecooperating surfaces of the bezel and the flange of the bowl.

To carry out the semi-direct effect of the light fixture, the bowl 16 ispreferably made with a gutter 31, formed by extending the centralportion 32 of the bowl in the Asame general direction, with its outerrim, or portion adjacent the rim. This provides a deep gutter orreceptacle entirely around the center of the bowl, into which the bulbs33, for example., of the light fixtures may be caused to depend.Preferably, and in order to economize space and size of fixture, and toseparate the bowl from the light fixtures as much as possible, thesockets 3l, for example, of the light fixtures are supported upon thevarious arms 6, of the spider-casting, or main-frame, by brackets 3l, atsuch an angle that the bulbs will be supported at an angle other than aright-angle relatively to the arms 6. Thus, the length of the lights,including socket and bulb, may be extended in the general direction ofthe length or curvature of the bowl, rather than directly toward eitherthe bottom or sides thereof. in other words,the bulbs and sockcts may becaused to lie, so to speak, rather than stand in the space between thespider and the bowl.

The fixtures shown may be of the wellknown Edison or General Electrictype, and are illustrated merely as an example of a source of light.

r'he leads of the wiring system, if electric lights are used, may beextended from the ceiling, through the bracket 3, tubulaimember 1, intothe bowl, and to the various fixtures and connected with the latter inany well-known manner. @n the other hand, if a different source of lightbe employed, the conduits may be likewise extended through thesupporting-member into the bowl and connected in usual manner to thelight-producing fixture. ln this connection, however, an importantfeature of my invention is the separable connection between the leads 35and the light-producing devices; that is to say, l may place any form ofseparable connection in the lower end of the member 1,-

the parts being generally indicated by 36 and 37. The socket 36 may besecured in place by solder or other means, and the plug 37 may slideeasily into the lower end of the member 1, so as to make connection withthe socket 3G and be easily and quickly removed therefrom when desired.By this means, the bulbs and their supporting-brackets may all beremoved without disturbing the leads 35.

ln order to give a finished appearance to the light fixture, anornamental knob 3S may be applied to the center thereof and held inplace by means of a long screw 39, the head of which may rest upon awasher 40, applied to the central tubular member of the bowl andextending through the same and through the hub of a spider formation 41,with which the ornamental device may be provided.

From the foregoing detail description, it

will readily be seen that all the parts of my fixture are separable,removable, and readily replaceable, and that the parts can be quicklytalien apart, or set in place, and that all parts of the fixture can bereadily examined and cleaned when desired. It will also be seen that themain-frame, owing to the separable members 36 and 37, may be removedwith all the parts carried by it from the supportingmember l, byremoving the check and jam nuts l2 and the washer 13.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

l. A light fixture comprising a supporting plate having moans adaptingit to be secured in place; a depending cylindrical supporting member andcooperating means between the latter and the supporting plate fordetachably securing the same together; a main frame and means coperatingtherewith and with the supporting member for detachably securing themtogether; detachable means carried by the main frame for supportinglight producing devices; and a bowl pivotally secured to the main frameand providing an inclosure between the latter' and the bowl for thelight producing devices, and means for securing the bowl in operativeposition.

2. A light fiXture comprising a supporting plate h a ving means adaptingit to be secured in place; a depending cylindrical supporting member,and means for securing the same to said plate; a main frame and meansfor securing the same to said supporting member, said main frame havinga plurality of radial arms connected by a circular member; means carriedby the radial arms of the main 'frame for supporting light producingdevices; and a bowl and means for securing the same to the circularmember of the main frame providing a closure for the light producingdevices.

3. A light fixture having, in combination, a tubular supporting-member;a removable mainframe carried thereby; a plurality of electric bulbssecured to the mainframe; and leads running from a source of currentthrough the supporting-member to the bulbs, and including a separableconnection between the latter and said leads and supported by thesupporting-member.

4. A light fixture comprising a main supporting-frame; means forsupporting the same; light producing devices removably secured to themain frame; and means yfor connecting the light producing devices with asource of power, including a conduit eX- tending through the supportingmeans and a separable connection between the conduit, the supportingmeans and the light producing devices.

5. A light fixture comprising a supporting member and means for securingthe same in place; a main frame; means for de tachably securing saidmain frame to said supporting member; light producing devices removablysecured to the main frame; a source of power extending through thesupporting member and main frame and connected with said devices; andlight reflecting and transmitting means removably secured to said mainframe.

In testimony whereof, l affix mysignature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT M. DIXON.

Witnesses Gno. E. HULsE,

MAXWELL GREENBERGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

